Breech mechanism of ordnance.



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110.880,994. PATENTED MAR. 3, 1908.

G. HOLMSTROM. BREEGH MEGHANISM 0F ORDNANGE.

APPLICATION FILED JULYZS. 1906. 1

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No. 880,994. l PTENTED MAR. 3, 1908.

C. HOLMSTROM. v

{ BREECH MEGHANISM 0F ORDNANGE.

PPLI ATION FILED J Y23, l 06.

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UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE.

CARL HOLMSTROM, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ELIASMIDDLETON, OF SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND.

BREECH MECHANISM OF ORDNANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Application 1ed July 23, 1906.

T o all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL HoLMsTRoM, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing at 25 Victoria street, Westminster, in the county ofLondon, England, engineer, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements Relating to the Breech Mechanism of Ordnance, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to gun breech mechanism of the kind in which thebreech block is provided with a De Bange obturator and is rotatablymounted in a swinging carrier pivoted at the side of the breech.Attempts have been made to employ in this class of breech mechanismobturatorshaving little, if any taper, and to furnish means whereby,after the block has been angularly displaced to unlock it from thebreech threads, said block will be caused to move a short distance in arectilinear path, to remove the obturator from its seat and permit ofthe block being then swung out of the breech chamber by the carrier.

It is the chief object of my invention to so construct breech mechanismof the above stated character, that great power'can be exerted on theblock forimp arting thereto the aforesaid rectilinear movement by anappropriate arrangement of lever mechanism which will remain inoperativeuntil the unseating effort on the obturator is required to be exerted,whereupon said lever mechanism will exert a powerful rearward pull ortoggle-like action on the block which will effectually unseat theobturator. Said mechanism will also operate with equal effectivenessduring the inward rectilinear movement of the block and the seating ofthe obturator.

The aforesaid lever mechanism may comprise a pair of cranks or armspivoted to the carrier so as to move in a horizontal plane fi. e. aplane transverse to that of the face of the breech block, which latterhas a pair of flanges or cam grooves thereon for the free ends of thesaid cranks or arms to engage with. The position of this pair of cranksor arms relatively to the pair of flanges or cam grooves on the block issuch that the cranks or arms come into engagement with the lianges orcam grooves as the block completes its angular displacement so that bythe continued movement of the cranks or arms about their pivot, theblock willy experience a powerful rearward pull which will be exertedthrough the said flanges or cam grooves, thus exerting on the block arectilinear pull similar to that which would be produced by atoggle-likeV arrangement. For imparting motion to the said pair ofcranks or arms the swinging carrier is furnished with a movable piecewhich may be in the form of a sliding bar receiving its motion fromsuitable mechanism such as a crank and link arrangement which may beoperated from the usual gearing at the pivot of the swinging carrier.This movable piece is suitably connected with a crank or arm 'pivoted tothe carrier so as to move in a vertical plane, i. e. parallel to theface of the breech block, and engaging with a radial slot i clearlyunderstood and readily carriedl into effect I will describe the samemore fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure1 is an elevation of the breech endv of a gun with the improved breechmechanism applied thereto, the parts being in the position they assumewhen the breech is fully closed. In this arrangement the mechanism isadapted to be actuated by a hand-lever. Fig. 2 is a plan, and Fig. 3 avertical central section of the same. Fig. 4 is a plan similar to Fig. 2with the parts in the position they occupy when the block has beenunlocked and rectilinearly moved rearwardly. Fig. 5 is an elevation, andFig. 6 a plan of the improved breech mechanism adapted to be actuated bya hand-wheel in stead of by a lever.

Like letters of reference indicate similar parts in all the figures.

A is the breech end of the gun, B the breech block, C the obturator, Dthe obturator-pad, E the swinging carrier and F the breech actuatinghand-lever. The aforesaid sliding bar is, in the example shown,

made in the form of a double rack a', a2, one set of teeth (viz. a)engaging with a toothed segment g, forming part of the crank or arm Gwhich is on the carrier and which imparts the angular movement to theblock through the radial slot b thereof. The other set of teeth (viz.a2) is at right angles to the set of teeth a', and engages with atoothed segment 7L formingpart of the pair of cranks or arms H, H. Thesecranks or arms are carried by a vertical shaft h on the carrier andimpart the rectilinear movement to the block. Their free ends move in ahorizontal plane and have anti-friction rollers which move in thedirection of the arrow (Fig. 2) to engage with the pair of flanges orgrooves b, b on the rear face of the block and exertV a powerfulrearward pull on the latter as aforesaid.

In the arrangement illustrated by Figs; l to 4 the said double rack'isactuated by a link f which is connected at f to said'rack and at f 2 tothe breech actuating lever which moves about a pivot f3 on the carrierand in its? outward movementbrings a tooth or projection f4 against alug e on said carrier so that the-continued outward movement of thelevercauses the carrier to swing about its pivot E.

In the arrangement illustrated by Figs. 5 and the' said double rack isalso actua-ted by a link f but this link instead of being pivoted-to thebreech actuating lever as in the preceding figures is pivoted to a crankfion the carrier. This crank receives motionthrough toothed gearing f6'from the carrier-pivot 'f7 to which the breechactuating hand wheel f8 isgearedby a wormf9 and -worm wheel f 10.

A suitable catch may b'e provided forretaining'the block in its positionof. disengagement:with ther crank G, during the time that the carrier isbeing swung to and from theV breech opening. This catch may comprise asliding bolt i carried by the carrier and having an inclined'nose i; itmay be provided'with a lateral spring i2 for exerting sufficientfriction thereon to prevent it from unintentional movement. The saidbolt mayalso have an incline i3 fora corresponding ,projection i4 on thegun-breech to act upon during the closing movement of the carrier.

Instead of arranging the aforesaid cranks orarms H, H'to move in ahorizontal plane asfab'ove stated, they may be arranged to move in anyother suitable plane transverse to that of the face of the breech blockand the motion may be imparted to them from bevel gearing or the like.In some cases also only one of the cranks or arms I-Iand one of theflanges or grooves b need 4be employed.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis z- 1. In gun breech mechanism of the De Bange obturator type, thecombination with the swinging carrier and the breech block movablymounted thereon, of means for impartingr angular motion to said block,lever mechanism turning about a fulcrum situated immediately behind theface of the breech block for rectilinearly moving the said block movablymounted thereon, of means for imparting angular motion to said block, anarm or crank mounted on the carrier to `move about a fulcrum situatedimmediately be-l hind the face of the breech block in a plane transversewith respect to the reari face of the said block, a iiangeon saidblock-with which the arm or crankengagesto move the block in arectilinear path, meansfor operating said arm or crank, means forswinging the carrier-about its pivot, and ymeans whereby these variousmovements take place in proper sequence by the continued movement of themember by which the force for working the mechanism is applied thereto.

3. In gun breech mechanism ofthe iDe* Bange obturator type, thecombination with the swinging carrier and the breech block movablymounted thereon, of means for im'- parting angular'motion to said bleek,an arm or crank mounted on the carrier to move in 'a plane transversewith respect to the rear face of the block, a flange on saidiblock withwhich the arm or crank engages to move the block in a rectilinear path,toothed gearing for actuating said arm 0r crank, meansffor swinging thecarrier about itspivot, and means whereby thesel various movements takeplace in proper sequence-by the continued movement ofthe member-by whichthe force of.working-theffmechanism israpplied thereto.

4. In gun breech'mechanisinof the De Bange'obturatortype, thecombination with the swinging carrier: andthe breech" block movablymounted thereon, of a= crank mounted on the carrier to move ina planeparallel with the rear face of the block and engaging wi-th a radialslot of the latter to angularly displace the same, 4a pair of'armsorfcranks mounted on the carrierto move in a plane transverse with res)ect to the face of the block, flanges on the lock with which the pairof arms orcranks` engage-to shift the block rectilinearly, means foractuating the aforesaid cranks, means forfswinging Vthe carrierabout-its pivot, and means'whereby these various movements take place inproper sequenceby the continued movement ofthe meinberbyv which theforce forworking the mechanism is applied thereto.

5. In gun breech mechanism of the De Bange obturatorftype,the'combination with the swinging carrier and the breech block movablymounted thereon, of `a crank mounted on the carrier to movel in a planeparallel with the rear face of the block and engaging with a radial slotof the latter to angularly displace the same, a pair of arms or cranksmounted on the carrier to move in aplane transverse with respect to 'theface of the block, flanges on the block with which the pair of armsengage to shift the block rectilinearly, a sliding rack bar on thecarrier for actuating the crank that engages with the radial slot on theblock and the cranks or arms that engage with the flanges on the block,means for actuating said rack bar7 and means whereby these variousmovements take place in proper sequence by the continued movement of themember by which the force for working the mechanism is applied thereto.

6. In gun breech mechanism of the De Bange obturator type, thecombinationwith the swinging carrier and the breech block movablymounted thereon, of a crank mounted on the carrier to move in a planeparallel with the rear face of the block and engaging with a radial slotof the latter to angularly displace the same, a pair of arms or cranksmounted on the carrier to move in a plane transverse with res ect to theface of the block, ilanges on the block with which the pair of armsengage to shift the block rectilinearly, a sliding rack bar on thecarrier having two sets of teeth, a toothed segment engaging with oneset of the teeth and imparting motion to the crank that turns the block,a toothed segment engaging with the other set of teeth and impartingmotion to the cranks or arms that rectilinearly shift the block, levermechanism for operating the said sliding rack bar, a crank on thecarrier for operating the lever mechanism, and means for operating saidcrank by the movement of the member by which the force for working themechanism is applied thereto.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses this twelfth day of July 1906.

CARL HoLMsTRoM.

Vitnesses:

T. SELBY WARDLE, CHAs. S. RUTLIDGE.

